To fly or not to fly?

I’m not a big fan of flying. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I hate flying. I’m not one of those people who feel that their holiday starts as soon as I get on the plane. To me it is merely a necessary form of transport to get me to my holiday destination as quickly as possible. If I can travel somewhere by any other means of transport, then I will. I love train travel, well maybe not in this country but European train travel is a joy. Lovely, clean, spacious trains which actually tend to leave and arrive on time. Travelling through the European countryside is a pleasure and the overnight trains are still so exciting to me. The thrill of waking up and realising that overnight you have gone from one country into another. How lovely. Most of all though I love travelling by sea. Cruises are my idea of heaven, and I am fortunate enough to have been on quite a few over the years. I adore the sea and respect it for its intense power. It can be as calm as a pond and change quickly into something that is ferocious. I’ve been unfortunate to have been on a cruise ship that has gone through a force 10 gale and it’s not something I would want to repeat! Mostly the cruises I have been on have been really enjoyable though and I’m quite happy to carry on doing them.

So back to flying. I know that many people choose not to fly these days. Some, like me, because they simply do not enjoy it, whilst an increasing number out there choose not to fly for environmental reasons. Flying is not a sustainable form of travel. Gemini AI tells us that it is a significant and fast-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions, and its environmental impact is amplified by the high altitude at which it occurs. Emissions released at high altitudes have a greater impact on the climate than those released at ground level. There are many challenges too with trying to make flying sustainable. Sustainable Aviation Fuels, while less polluting, are currently produced in very small quantities, are expensive, and can have their own sustainability issues, such as requiring vast amounts of electricity or being made from feedstocks that require shipping. The technology for large, long-haul electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft is still under development and faces significant hurdles. There is a really interesting article on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20200218-climate-change-how-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions-when-flying that asks the question “Should we give up flying for the sake of the climate? It addresses how travelling by train and even by bus/coach can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. It also gives us something to think about, “While giving up flying can feel like a choice to curb your own freedom, travel and the opportunity to experience different cultures, its increasing role in climate change is putting many of our most cherished environments at risk”

Something to think about anyway

Thanks for reading